Tirupati: Chittoor is poised for a big jump in growth with two ambitious industrial corridors – Vizag-Chennai and Chennai-Bangalore – passing through the district, providing scope for large-scale industrial development.
Chittoor district already has industrial infrastructure, especially for IT, automobiles, and food processing units. The district is set to witness a major growth in exports with its proximity to Bengaluru and Chennai, having multiple channels of connectivity like road, rail, and air links. The district is also equidistant from Chennai and Krishnapatnam ports.
District Industries Centre (DIC) is making all-out efforts to boost exports from Chittoor by creating an export-centric ecosystem. The district has 9,442 industries, including 170 mega projects and 9,271 MSMEs. DIC wants to further improve on this ecosystem with necessary supply chain links, technology repository, regulatory reforms, and a pipeline of entrepreneurs.
DIC, along with AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC), organised last week an awareness conclave for exporters as part of the ongoing “Vanijya Utsav – 2021” under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. DIC general manager E. Prathap said industrialists have several opportunities to export commercial products from Chittoor by availing stamp duty reimbursement, subsidies, power subsidies and so on.
“In AP, Chittoor ranks first in mango, milk, and tomato production, second in sericulture and fourth in poultry products. The district has plenty of granite, quartz and sandstone with good road and rail connectivity to two big markets – Chennai and Bangalore. Entrepreneurs should make use of these advantages and set up export-oriented industries in the district”, Prathap advised.
Food processing will be game-changer
Food processing is expected to give a big boost to agricultural exports from the district, thereby increasing the income of farmers. It provides enormous opportunities to investors, thanks to abundant availability of raw materials in the district.
These are by way of horticultural crops and dairy industry. Milk chilling and processing, mango pulp, mango juice, tamarind concentrate, fruit processing and packaged foods are among the major products already benefiting nearly 45 large and mega industries, apart from 541 MSMEs. The total investment in food processing industry is Rs 5,456.30 crore.
Chittoor stands first in mango and tomato production in the state. Out of the state’s gross value addition (GVA) of Rs 75,187 crore, the district contributes Rs 10,752 crore, which is 14.3 percent of GVA. Mango and tomato alone contribute around 83 percent to this sector. Based on these two crops, there are 55 mango canning units and 15 aseptic packaging units with total investment of Rs400 crore, creating employment for 5,000 persons.
The district is also second largest in milk production within the country, first in terms of livestock (1,72,65,930) and fourth in poultry farms and egg production. Chittoor has the largest number of poultries and hatcheries, contributing Rs 4,500 crore to nation’s exchequer. The district produces at an average 30 lakh broilers per month.
